CHAPTER 18
HAWK
Home.
It just came out in the text, but the more I think about it, the more right it feels.
Maybe it’s premature. After all, it’s only been a matter of weeks since Rhi and I started dating.
The practical choice would be to get an apartment in Seguin—whether I get this job with the park police or something different, I’m staying as close to Rhiannon as possible—but that’s not what I want. At all.
I want to sleep next to her every night. Get her coffee ready each morning. Workout in the B and A gym together, and share a sexy shower with her after.
I want entire days with her instead of snatches of them.
I want to see my clothes hanging alongside hers in the closet.
We haven’t talked about it yet. Not that I haven’t wanted to, but it hasn’t seemed the right time. Not with all the craziness that happened with Martin and Rhi’s struggle to come to terms with it. I haven’t wanted to put her in a position where she’d feel badly about telling me no. Or be worried that I’d go back to Alaska if I didn’t like her answer.
I wouldn’t. That’s a mistake I won’t repeat. And if Rhi says she wants to slow things down, I’ll be okay with it.
Well. I won’t be happy. But whatever Rhiannon wants, I’ll do it without hesitation. I’ll do anything to make our relationship work.
But she’s been doing better the last couple of days. Her smiles have come more frequently. So maybe I’ll bring it up soon. Arrange a nice date—a fancy restaurant in San Antonio or that little Italian place in Seguin Rhi always talks about. Dress up in a nice suit and get her flowers. And then, maybe, I’ll broach the whole living together thing.
And after that… I’d be lying if I said marriage hadn’t crossed my mind.
Not yet. That’s an exponentially bigger question. But I may have been surreptitiously sneaking looks at the rings the B and A guys got for their wives and fiancées. Just so I’m ready when the time comes.
I’m just merging onto I-10 East, headed out of San Antonio and towards Seguin, when my phone buzzes with a text. Glancing at the dashboard, expecting to see another message from Rhiannon, I’m slightly surprised to see one from Xavier, instead.
Lucy wants to have you guys over for dinner. I think she wants to talk to Rhi about some baby stuff, too. Would tonight or tomorrow night work?
A smile curves my lips. I’ve missed this. Not just seeing Rhiannon, but all my old friends. And while I’d live with Rhi anywhere, being at Blade and Arrow with my old teammates is definitely a plus.
I’m about to dictate a response when my phone starts jittering in the console again.
Another text from Xavier? Or maybe it’s Rhi, messaging me from the drive-through line, wondering what kind of burger I want.
For a split second, I think, maybe I should buy flowers on the way home as a surprise .
Then.
An alarm blares.
It’s loud. Incessant. Impossible to miss.
Startled, I jerk the wheel, veering partially into the next lane and earning an angry horn blast in return.
At first, the shrieking sound doesn’t compute.
I didn’t set an alarm. Didn’t set a reminder.
A moment later, I realize.
My heart leaps into my throat.
My lungs seize.
I do know that sound. Weeks ago, when Rhiannon showed me how the tracking system Blade and Arrow uses.
We were watching TV— House Hunters , of course—when she slipped off her ring and explained how it worked. How it has a GPS tracking chip inside, so her teammates can find her anywhere. “We all have one, just in case,” she said before adding with a smile, “Not that I’ve ever had to have anyone track me, but better safe than sorry, right?”
Given everything that was happening, I couldn’t have agreed more. And I asked her to install the app on my phone, as well.
Just in case.
But it’s not supposed to be going off. Not now. Not when Martin’s in custody and the danger is over. Rhi’s supposed to be safe.
With a shaking hand, I snatch up my phone. In the seconds it takes to look at the screen, a flurry of terrible scenarios flash past me.
Rhi in an accident, her car in a ditch, the engine smoking.
Rhi hit in the parking lot by a distracted driver, sprawled out bleeding on the hard asphalt.
Or—
No . The threat is over. Everyone said.
With one eye on the road, I fumble at the screen to unlock it, then wait for what feels an eternity for the app to load. The little map finally opens to display a red dot flashing.
In letters so tiny I can barely read them, my worst fear is confirmed.
Rhiannon.
Another car flies past me, honking indignantly. A quick glance at the speedometer tells me I’ve slowed to well under the speed limit.
But how can I concentrate on driving when Rhi’s in trouble?
Earning yet another horn blast, this time with a rude gesture accompanying it, I swerve to the side of the road.
As I’m shifting into park, my phone rings.
My heart jumps.
Could it be Rhiannon, calling to tell me it was all a mistake? That she accidentally triggered the alert and she’s actually okay?
But the name on the screen crushes my hopes.
I jab at the phone to answer the call, barking, “Dante. What’s going on? Did you talk to Rhi?”
Grimly, he replies, “No. I was hoping you had.”
Fear catches my breath. My throat narrows. “She was leaving the grocery store. I just talked to her a few minutes ago. She was fine .”
“I don’t know.” His voice is calm, but with an undercurrent of tension running through it. “Matt’s trying to call her right now. But it’s going straight to voicemail.”
Fuck . I could kick myself. Why didn’t I try calling Rhi already?
I stare at the tiny red dot on the screen. “It shows her heading west out of Seguin. Is there any… Shit. Why would she…”
Shit. I can’t think straight. I’m too fucking scared.
She’s supposed to be safe .
As I’m looking at the screen, the alarm sounds again.
My heart actually stops for a second.
“Fuck!” I punch the steering wheel, barely feeling the accompanying pain. “Why am I stopped on the side of the road? I need to go after her. Now .”
Without waiting for a response, I shift into drive and stomp my foot on the gas. Tires squeal as I pull back onto the road. A car comes within inches of slamming into the back of the car, earning yet another series of angry honks.
I don’t care. Nothing matters except getting to Rhi.
“Hawk.” Dante’s voice is low and commanding. “Calm down. Getting into an accident isn’t going to help her. Neither is getting pulled over by a cop.”
I prop my phone on the console so I can look at the screen, still keeping half my attention on Rhi’s moving dot. She’s edging her way west, almost directly towards me.
But where is she going? Why?
Then a paralyzing thought hits me; one I didn’t allow myself to consider until now.
What if someone has her?
What if we were wrong about Martin? What if we missed some critical piece?
“Hawk.” It’s sharper this time. “Listen to me. I get it. But we need a plan.” Dante pauses. A door slams. A flurry of rapid footsteps follows.
“I’m going after her,” I reply. “She’s less than thirty miles away. If I can intercept?—”
“We’re heading out,” Dante replies. In the background, a car engine fires up. The metallic clunk of a car door sounds. “I have Erik and Niall with me. Matt’s staying at the ranch to watch out for the women. But he’ll be feeding us info as he gets it. Xavier is out with Lucy at a doctor’s appointment, but he’s heading back right now.”
My gaze skitters back and forth from the phone to the road. “I’m not waiting, D. I can’t.”
Up ahead, I spot the familiar coloring of a police car and reluctantly slow, as much as I hate to do it. But Dante’s right. I can’t afford to get pulled over right now.
A rustling noise comes through the car’s speakers. A moment later, Niall says, “No one’s asking you to wait, H. Shit, if it were Jade, I wouldn’t. But don’t rush in on your own. Not until we get intel. You know that’s how it’s done.”
My jaw clenches. My molars nearly grind to dust.
But I know he’s right. So I take a steadying breath and say, “Okay. If I get there first, I’ll scout the place. Wait to engage until you’re there.” A beat, and then, “But I’m not going to stand back and watch Rhi get hurt. Or?—”
Fuck.
I can’t even think it.
Once I pass the police car, I slam my foot to the floor again. My speed picks up from eighty to ninety.
“Once we get closer to Rhi, Matt will search the satellite images,” Niall says. “Scout for possible locations where Rhi could be headed.” He stops. “Hang on. I’m switching to speaker so Dante can talk.”
“You mean where someone is taking her,” I snap. “You know that’s what happened. Someone took her. We fucking missed something, and now Rhi’s in trouble. It has to be that fucker, Allen. It has to be.”
“We don’t know that,” Dante replies. “Matt’s checking on him right now. He’s been keeping up surveillance on Allen, just to be safe.”
I let out a harsh laugh. “It’s not doing much good, is it?”
“Matt just texted.” Dante pauses. “He says Allen is still in Hopkinsville. Confirmed visual using the cameras Erik installed while he was there. So it can’t be him.”
Shit.
I was so sure.
Drawing in a deep breath, I exhale heavily before I reply, “It doesn’t matter who it is. Just that we get there and get Rhi out. Before she’s—” My voice catches.
“We will.” Determination strengthens Dante’s voice. “Whatever’s going on, whoever got to Rhi, we’ll find her. I promise.”
Confident words. Ones I want to believe. But until I see Rhiannon for myself, until I have her in my arms again, the words have no meaning.
As I fly eastward towards Rhi’s still-moving target, I pray for the first time in my life.
Please.
I love her.
Don’t take her from me.
Twenty terrifying minutes later, just as I’m closing in on New Berlin, Rhiannon’s tracker comes to a stop less than five miles from me.
Adrenaline floods my body.
It’s nearly time.
“It looks like she’s stopped at a rental house just outside New Berlin,” Niall reports. “Matt’s pulling up the images of the property now.” He pauses. “Okay. It’s a small house, three beds, one bath. Surrounded by fields on three sides.”
Still following Rhiannon’s tracker, I turn onto a narrow country road. “Shit. That’ll make the approach much harder.”
“There’s a treeline that runs along the back of the house. If you take the road perpendicular, you should be able to get behind the house while still keeping cover.”
“But don’t engage,” Dante adds. “Not unless absolutely necessary. Do some recon. See if you can get a visual on who’s inside. But it’ll be safer for Rhi if you have backup.”
“I know.” Slowing again, I make a left onto an even more worn road, barely wide enough for two cars. “But if I have to…”
“We’re less than fifteen minutes out. Once we get there, we’ll rendezvous behind the house, just in the trees. We’ve got extra weapons, ammo, comms, flash bangs?—”
But my focus shifts as I spot the road leading to the house Rhiannon’s being held in.
While my battle-worn side reminds me to abide by logic and strategy, just as I did in the Army, my heart tells me otherwise.
Right now, I don’t feel like the Special Forces soldier who always stayed calm no matter the circumstances.
Right now, I’m just a man who desperately wants to get to the woman he loves.
It’s torture going past the long driveway that would lead me directly to Rhi. Maybe a quarter mile in, I can see a tiny house with a gray van parked in front of it, and it takes everything in me not to go there right away. Less than thirty seconds and I’d be pulling up behind the van, ready to rush in. But Dante’s right. With a broad expanse of yellowing field around it, there’s no way I could make a stealthy approach.
But the trees behind it would work.
Making a sharp right turn onto the road perpendicular, I come to a screeching stop just where the treeline starts. The long swathe of trees stretches along the back of several properties, no doubt left there to separate them from the ones directly behind.
I grab my Sig and Ka-Bar—I never travel without them, no matter where I go—and leap from the car as it’s still rocking. In a full-out sprint, I dart between the trees, relying on muscle memory and years of experience to lead me.
As I race through the trees, headed towards the back of the rental house where Rhiannon is, I’m reassured that my body knows what to do, even if my thoughts are scattering. My body remembers the dozens of missions it’s been on, all the times I ventured into enemy territory and moving without notice meant the difference between life and death.
When I finally reach the rental house, I peer through the trees to surveil the property. There’s a detached garage at the rear of it, maybe twenty feet from the trees. And just beyond it lies the house, an unassuming ranch that looks just like the dozen or so I passed on the way here.
And inside, still beyond my view, is Rhiannon.
I can tell she’s there from a quick glance at my phone—her red dot still blinking in a panicked rhythm. But it doesn’t tell me the most important part. If she’s hurt. Critically injured. Or if she’s?—
No. I refuse to think it.
Rhiannon is too strong to not be alive.
She has to be.
She has to.
Fuck. I can’t live without her.
Terror threatens to take over, ballooning in my chest and squeezing the air from it.
I’ve never felt this close to losing it before. Never felt this out of control.
But Rhi wouldn’t lose it. No. She would pull herself together and focus on the mission.
Sucking in a deep breath, I hold it for a few seconds, then let it out slowly. Then I do it again. And again.
Though I don’t want to close the tracking app—rational or not, it’s my one connection to Rhiannon—I minimize it so I can send a quick text to Niall.
About to approach the house. Rhi’s definitely inside. Will let you know what I see.
Just before I slide the phone in my pocket, his response appears.
Got it. We’re seven minutes away. As soon as we get here, we’ll meet you in the woods behind the house.
I send one final message before I move.
Roger. Moving in. Hurry.
Crouching low, I run to the back of the garage, keeping my eyes peeled for surveillance cameras or traps. Anything that could alert the people who took Rhi before I want them to know I’m here.
But there’s nothing.
It’s the same for the exterior of the house. I can’t find any of the telltale signs of a security system—no cameras, no motion sensors, no tiny tripwires that would activate an alarm. Everything is quiet, save for the dull hum of a plane flying overhead and a truck shifting gears in the distance.
Moving carefully, I creep closer to the house until I’m right below one of the windows. The curtains are partially drawn, with just a couple of inches of opening to peer through. Though instinct demands I look right away, I force myself to act logically. I need to take my time with this, no matter how badly I want to rush in.
As I crouch beneath the window, a burst of harsh words filters through the glass.
“This is all your fault, you stupid whore! You fucked up everything!”
Whore? Is he talking to Rhi?
Rage boils up. Fire races through my veins.
How dare he?
“We lost everything because of you!” The man’s voice continues, rising in volume as he speaks. “You and your fucking ambition! As if being in the Army wasn’t enough, you just had to worm your way into the Special Forces. You and the rest of those stupid women, trying to do a job that you weren’t qualified for.”
There’s no response.
My heart ices over. Could that?—
No. He wouldn’t be talking to her if she wasn’t alive. Conscious. There would be no point.
Unless he’s just crazy.
Fuck.
“And then you lied! Accused him of those horrible things! He lost his job because of you! Do you know what that did to us?”
Still nothing. No defiant reply. No pacifying answer. Nothing to tell me if Rhi’s alive.
I have to see.
Cautiously, I rise just enough to peer above the windowsill. As I move, my fingers tighten on the trigger of my Sig, ready to fire if I need to.
At first glance, there’s nothing.
Then I crane my head to look in from a different angle.
And I see her.
My Rhi.
First, relief.
She’s alive. Conscious. And from a glimpse of her expression, angry.
In the instant that follows, rage surges so quickly I’m breathless from it.
She’s also hurt .
One eye is swelling shut, the skin deep red around it. From a split lower lip, blood coats her chin. Her shorts expose a large bruise rising on her thigh.
She’s tied to a chair, her wrists pulled behind her, her ankles zip tied to the legs.
The rage ignites into an inferno.
Someone hit her. Hurt her badly enough that she couldn’t fight back. Kidnapped her. And now…
The man—though he looks more a boy, maybe in his early twenties at best—looms over Rhi, pointing a gun at her.
As I’m watching, he jabs the barrel into her chest, snarling, “You stupid bitch! What do you have to say for yourself?”
But she can’t talk. Not with a wad of bunched up fabric in her mouth.
“If you want her to answer,” a woman says from out of view, an exasperated tone to her voice, “you’ll have to take the gag out.”
“I know,” he snaps. “Why do you always treat me like an idiot?”
Then he yanks the fabric from Rhiannon’s mouth and snarls, “There! Now you can answer.” He pokes her with the gun again. “So answer. Explain to me why you lied. Why you had to destroy his life.” A beat, and then, “And don’t try yelling. We’re too far for anyone to hear. All you’ll do is piss me off, and I might just shoot you to shut you up.”
Rhiannon stares at him, her eyes narrowing. Her chin lifts defiantly.
My heart stutters.
I’m a heartbeat from flying in there. The only thing stopping me is the knowledge that there are two enemies inside, and I don’t know if they’re both armed.
Although, if I’m quick enough, I might be able to take out both of them before they get a shot off.
As I’m wavering between decisions, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I drop back down below the window to look at the screen.
We’re in the woods. We can see you behind the house. Don’t come to us. Meet at the garage, instead.
I don’t want to leave Rhi, but I know I have to. Even though I’m confident in my skills, I know damn well that the odds of a successful rescue are much higher with Dante, Niall, and Erik backing me.
So I run back to the garage, every step away from Rhi more painful than the last.
When I finally reach the far side of the garage, Dante, Niall, and Erik are waiting, all of them with matching intense looks on their faces. Each one is armed, their Sigs at the ready. Dante gives me a quick chin lift and asks crisply, “What do we have inside?”
“One man, twenties, armed,” I report. “I got a visual on him. There’s a woman, too, but she’s out of view. So I don’t know if she’s armed. Rhi’s tied up, hurt, the fucker’s holding a gun on her.”
“Do you recognize him?”
I scowl. “No. I’ve never seen him before. But he’s ranting about Allen. Claiming Rhi lied about him. So this is someone who knows him, at least.”
“Shit,” Erik hisses. “Could it be the son? Matt said he was clean. But?—”
Fuck. Could it be?
Does it matter at this point?
“We need to get inside,” I grit out. “Take the tangos out. Then we can worry about who the fuck they are.”
Niall nods. “Agreed.” Moving closer to me, he holds out his hand. There’s a small earpiece in his palm. “Here. You’ll need this.”
Obligingly, I stick the tiny device in my ear. Then I turn to Dante. “Rhi and this asshole are in what looks like the living room. The front door is in view. I couldn’t see more than that. But from the sound of it, the other woman was close.”
Dante gives a crisp nod. “Okay. Based on the photos Matt found online, there’s a back door that enters into the kitchen, as well. So I’m thinking we split up. You and Niall wait at the front door. Erik and I will sneak in through the back. I’ll draw the attention of the tangos. As soon as that happens, Erik will signal you to come inside.”
“Then what?”
Dante’s gaze sweeps around our small group. “Erik, you’ll go for the woman. Disarm if necessary and restrain her. Hawk, you and Niall will target the guy—” He stops. His jaw sets. “We want him alive, but if it looks like he’s going to shoot Rhi, take him out.”
I turn to Niall. “If there’s even a chance?—”
He meets my gaze, understanding in his eyes. “You know I will.”
While I’d like nothing more than to shoot the fucker myself, Niall’s the trained sniper, and I know from experience if he wants to make a shot, he won’t miss.
“I’ll go to Rhi,” Dante adds. “Get her out, give first aid.” A pause, and then, “If we do this right, the whole thing should be over in less than a minute.”
“There’s no other option,” I reply. “Getting Rhi out safely is it. Nothing else is acceptable.”
Niall claps my shoulder. “Damn right. We’ll get her out.”
“Alright.” Dante raises his hand. “We’re doing this. On my go, move out. Once we get to the backdoor, we’ll breach shortly after. Listen for my call to come in the front.”
In unison, the rest of us reply quietly, “Got it.”
In the moments before his hand drops, the prayer I uttered just before flashes through my head again.
Please.
I love her.
Don’t take her from me.
And then, a deadly vow.
I’ll kill anyone who tries.
Everything seems to quiet as we wait for Dante’s signal.
Then.
His hand falls.
Like bullets, we explode into motion. Hunched over, running silently as we were trained, all extraneous thoughts pushed aside as we focus on the mission. Through sheer force of will, I shove my worry and fear down deep.
I can’t be afraid right now. I need to be confident. Not just in myself, but in my team. In Rhiannon, and her dogged determination to survive anything.
Once we get to the front door, Niall and I station ourselves just to the side of it. I grasp the doorknob, careful not to move it until it’s time.
In my earpiece, all I hear is the soft sound of breathing. In the house, the man is still ranting, going on about his failed military hopes and the car he was supposed to get until Rhiannon ruined it for him.
Then I hear a low, “Ten seconds,” from Dante.
My hand tightens on the doorknob. I hold my breath.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
At one, Dante murmurs, “We’re in.”
I flick a glance at Niall. His features are like stone. His Sig is raised at the ready, his trigger finger poised to fire.
Please.
Let her be okay.
At twenty count, the silence is broken by a burst of shouting.
Erik barks in my ear, “ Now .”
I twist the doorknob, finding it unlocked, and yank the door open.
Urgency beating at me, I burst inside. Niall rushes in after, once again having my six.
It only takes a millisecond to assess the situation.
Dante and Erik stand in the doorway to the kitchen, both of them with their guns drawn. The man—the tango—is facing them, his gun pointed at Dante. The woman stands to the side, clearly shocked. Both her hands are empty.
And then Rhiannon, sitting between them, a grimly satisfied smile on her face.
As much as I want to run to her, that’s not the plan.
Not yet.
Instead, I launch myself at the armed man with a growl of pure rage.
He doesn’t even realize I’m coming for him until it’s too late.
I knock him to the ground, overpowering him easily. Before he can try anything with the gun, I grab his wrist and slam it hard against the floor.
He howls in pain and anger as his fingers lose their hold on the gun.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Erik pinning the woman down and pulling her hands behind her.
Dante races over to Rhiannon and shields her with his body. I hear his rumbly voice as he says to her, “Hang on. I’ll get you untied in just a second.”
As I’m wrenching this fucker’s hands behind him, Niall comes to my side. He drops to his knees and says dryly, “Well. I guess I wasn’t needed.”
I’m caught between wanting to pummel the tango’s face into pulp and rushing to Rhiannon’s side. But the decision is made easy when Niall yanks a bundle of zip ties from his pocket and turns to me. “Let me take care of this piece of shit. You go to Rhi.”
Retribution would feel great. But even better would be holding the woman I love more than anything in my arms.
So I jump up and rush to her.
By the time I get there, Dante’s already cut through her restraints. She’s trying to get up from the chair and he’s saying, “Rhi. Let me check you over first. You could be?—”
“I’m okay,” she insists, pushing herself up. “I just want to get out of here.”
But I don’t miss how she wobbles on her feet. Or the pain etched into her features. I reach for her, steadying her arm. “Rhi, babe. You’re hurt. Let Dante look at you.”
She looks up at me. Emotion washes across her face. Her lips press into a quivering line. “Hawk.”
It’s just one word. But the way she says it tells me so much more than that.
She’s in pain. She’s feeling vulnerable. But she desperately doesn’t want to show it.
“Rhi.” Dante sighs. “You could have internal bleeding. Broken bones. It’s better if you stay still until the ambulance gets here. These two pieces of garbage?—”
“Nick and Wendy,” she finishes. “Colonel Allen’s son and wife. They planned it with him.”
Fuck.
If not for my worry for Rhi, I’d be on my way to Kentucky right now.
But. She needs me. Even if she doesn’t want to admit it.
“I’m okay,” she insists, holding my gaze. “Some bruises. Maybe a concussion. A few cuts. And”—she lifts her hand, showing off two crooked and swollen fingers—“I’m pretty certain these are broken. But it’s nothing critical.”
My molars grind to dust as I try to contain my fury.
Broken fingers. Someone broke her fingers.
“Hawk?” It’s softer this time. Her eyes plead with mine. “Can we please leave? I just want to go home.”
Oh .
My heart.
Sliding my arm around her waist, I reply gently, “I can carry you out. How about that?”
“No. Not in front of him. I want…” Rhiannon’s voice dips to a whisper. “I want him to see me walk out of here. So he knows… I’m not the weak woman he thinks I am.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll walk out of here together. How does that sound?”
She’s not weak. She’s the furthest thing from it. But part of loving Rhi is understanding why, sometimes, she needs to stand on her own.
So we walk out together, past the still-howling asshole and his scowling mother. Out of the place where she had to face Allen’s actions all over again. Where she showed just how damn brave and strong she is.
I can tell she’s hurting. With every step, she gives me more of her weight. And I gladly take it for her, just like I always will.
Once we get outside, Rhiannon slows to a stop. Looks up at me.
Then she says quietly, “Will you… my leg. It really hurts. Do you think…”
She doesn’t have to say more.
And as carefully as if I were handling the most fragile crystal, I lift her into my arms. Her head sags to my shoulder. A soft sigh brushes my neck. “Thank you.”
I have to close my eyes to hold back my tears. “Of course. Whatever you need. Whenever you want. I’ll always be here for you.”